Harman updates infotainment

Harman, recently bought by Samsung, and long standing supplier to the automotive sector has developed a new digital cockpit.

The Digital Cockpit Platform is a scalable and integrates the operation and functionality of the instrument cluster and centre stack infotainment system that the company hopes will deliver a more seamless user experience.

The increasing digitiasation of vehicle displays, safety and entertainment features has often led to a fragmented and confusing user experience in the car, especially as firms try hopelessly to keep up with the ease of use we've grown accustomed to in consumer electronics.

At the same time, automakers are faced with managing the increased complexity of these in-car electronics, often with increased costs for multiple controllers and software solutions to manage these disparate systems.

Harman's platform addresses these challenges through a compute platform that is capable of driving multiple functional domains within the car, including the centre displays and infotainment, instrumentation cluster, advanced driver assist systems (ADAS), audio and sound management, lighting, e-mirrors, navigation, drive assist, and even an intelligent personal assistant.

Critical vehicle functions are always prioritised for fail-safe operation enabled by a Type 1 hypervisor. For increased system protection, a safety-critical real time operating system is used to drive the instrument cluster and HUD display, while the infotainment and connected experience is powered either by Android or Linux.

All of the platform systems can also be “future proofed” because it can be updated over-the-air. New features and functionality, as well as bug fixes or software upgrades, can be easily transferred to the car, ensuring that the in-vehicle experience stays as fresh and current as other aspects of the user’s digital life.